WhoI mean what else was I going to be writing about? I found out in the best way possible - seeing a Dalek drift by on the bottom of the front page of The Daily Telegraph on a morning paper review on tv, then on BBCi on Freeview at half past midnight just before I began taping Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. And it's going to be on Saturday nights at 6:30. For now everything seems right. Russell T. Davies is a renowned fan (read this piece from The Guardian about the DVD release of Queer as Folk and see how it's mentioned either directly or other) who has written a novel and short stories. Just like the old days it?s being personally supervised by the head of drama (Mal Young) and it's a full commission, not some maybe. I should at this point trot out my usual hopes and fears - that it's a continuation rather than a remake, that forty odd years of continuity isn't dumped, so much as not referred to. That it's a family show without being stupid, witty without slapstick. That the old monsters are only brought back for a valid reason and that they aren't changed for the sake of it. He should also take advantage of the range of writing talent on offer right now. Paul Cornell, Lance Parkin and Mark Gatiss are all respected tv writers (and actor in the latter case) and having their names attached also would make this seem even more real. I certainly don't think Davies should write it all.

Quick word on casting. Although I love the hotly tipped Alan Davies and he's been great in Jonathan Creek etc, just to cast him because he looks like a young Tom Baker isn?t the way to go. The Doctor needs to have a strong presence and I just don't see him facing down a Dalek. Of course I'd love Paul McGann to instantly get the role, but failing that can I suggest Peter Davison? He's a bit older now and has proved to have developed into a very good actor in recent ITV dramas. He's also been excellent in the Big Finish audios and I think he always secretly regretted leaving the series at the time when he did. You'd have some of the continuity with the past and also the older Doctor, Davies seems to be interested in. I think he's talking about a kind of Pertwee / Jo Grant dynamic which is just fine.

Life So we’ve moved. And after a few days during which various workmen traipsed through to fix little things like the hole in my wall and the fact my window wouldn’t open things are beginning to look very good indeed. Loving my wooden floor, although in a retrograde step I might have to get a rug to for just on the edge of my new bed (oh yes I’ve bought a new bed – all metal frame and high headboard) because it feels very odd when by bare feet hit the bare floor. It’s very odd to be sitting in a flat which is the same as the one we left a year ago but in places so different with its fitted kitchen, conservatory style back balcony, shower/bathroom and living room windows which take up a whole wall.

The actual move was smoother than last time. Last time it took thirteen hours to shift everything. This time we were in and out in six hours (I was able to go into town in the afternoon for some essentials). But there is still much to do. The life laundry continues. I hadn’t quite realized how many tapes I had with certain television series on, but it doesn’t feel so bad watch the black bags mount up with them in. Equally it hasn’t been so hard losing the books although it has meant my bookshelf is looking a bit weird, if only because it seems so brief; losing all the screenplays just feels wrong, but if I’ve got the films on DVD and their literally just transcripts, what’s the point?

Reconnecting online was it’s own mini-nightmare. I eventually found the box with all the cables and whatnot in yesterday, hooked everything up and nothing … my modem was dialing up OK, connecting then … nothing. Checked everything. Tried again. Still nothing. Called BT’s tech support who called back this morning and we tried increasing the ‘gain’, this didn’t help. So I called the 50p a minute line who advised that on Wednesday BT Retail had told BT Openworld to cancel my Surftime package. Many phone calls late all I could work out was that BT Retail were saying they hadn’t and BT Openworld said they had. Unfortunately I couldn’t put the receivers next to each other and let them have the argument, but thankfully it does mean I’m back online with relatively more ease than during the last move.

One week to go of my holiday and I’m making a promise to myself to at least try to enjoy it. I think there may be a cinema trip to Manchester sometime in my future …